Thread: Any experience with Suehiro Gokumyo Hones?

I know this is an old post. I am waiting for mine any day now. I have a chosera 10k and a naniwa 12. I would prefer to use the chosera 10k. Is this ok from 10 to 20 k. I know shaptons double in grit 8 to 16 to 30. Thanks.

Originally Posted by bill3152

I know this is an old post. I am waiting for mine any day now. I have a chosera 10k and a naniwa 12. I would prefer to use the chosera 10k. Is this ok from 10 to 20 k. I know shaptons double in grit 8 to 16 to 30. Thanks.

Sure. That is what I'm doing. If you think about it that is what Norton does as well. Four to eight. Some guys have found the shave off the Chosera 10k 'crisp' or harsh. I have not found it so. For me it has been acceptably smooth. The 20k makes it that much better.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Sounds like you're roughing it! I wish I could say I had an escher. Also not that interested in super flat for razors, either. It's pretty easy just to look at what's going on with the razor bevel to find out if the stone is addressing the entire bevel on each swipe. If it is, especially on the finest stone, there's no reason to get excited and waste stone and time.

I've wanted to ask for some time how flat a hone really needs to be. Of course, a dished out hone will cause problems, and a hone fresh from the factory may need to be lapped, but what about hones, for example the Gokumyo 20K and the Naniwa SS 12K which have been in normal usage and were originally lapped.

When finishing even one razor on a Gokumyo 20K, even for only 20 to 30 laps, there is some discoloration of the stone as a result of steel removal. Certainly that doesn't mean that it must be lapped to return it to its beautiful white color. So, balancing the issues of flatness and unnecessary stone loss, are there any rough guidelines? I've found myself getting lazy in the past and not lapping for months while fully honing 30 to 40 blades and never saw a problem. Any opinions?

Originally Posted by ace

I've wanted to ask for some time how flat a hone really needs to be. Of course, a dished out hone will cause problems, and a hone fresh from the factory may need to be lapped, but what about hones, for example the Gokumyo 20K and the Naniwa SS 12K which have been in normal usage and were originally lapped.

When finishing even one razor on a Gokumyo 20K, even for only 20 to 30 laps, there is some discoloration of the stone as a result of steel removal. Certainly that doesn't mean that it must be lapped to return it to its beautiful white color. So, balancing the issues of flatness and unnecessary stone loss, are there any rough guidelines? I've found myself getting lazy in the past and not lapping for months while fully honing 30 to 40 blades and never saw a problem. Any opinions?

Just lap it initially, and then give it a good rinse after each honing session.
I have over a thousand razors on it by now, and it is plenty flat still.
It is one hard bugger
A little discolorstion does not affect honing much at all


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I get the swarf on my choseras. I use the 600 grit slurry stone to clean em up. Or my 600 dmt 6 x 2 inch. I hone with a bucket of water at my side so its real easy. Those 600 slurry stones really clean up the dmts also. I will see how the suehiro goes. I will lap with my usual 325 dmt. Unless it needs a lot and then I break out the 120 to 325 and 600 for final.

Originally Posted by ace

I've wanted to ask for some time how flat a hone really needs to be. Of course, a dished out hone will cause problems, and a hone fresh from the factory may need to be lapped, but what about hones, for example the Gokumyo 20K and the Naniwa SS 12K which have been in normal usage and were originally lapped.

When finishing even one razor on a Gokumyo 20K, even for only 20 to 30 laps, there is some discoloration of the stone as a result of steel removal. Certainly that doesn't mean that it must be lapped to return it to its beautiful white color. So, balancing the issues of flatness and unnecessary stone loss, are there any rough guidelines? I've found myself getting lazy in the past and not lapping for months while fully honing 30 to 40 blades and never saw a problem. Any opinions?

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In machine shop parlance, there is what is referred to as "mated surfaces". If your hone is not perfectly flat, neither is your razor edge. I lap frequently to make sure my edges are as good as they can be.

When I first got the 20k I put a Starratt straight edge on it and it had a slight crown. I didn't feel like lapping it, just lazy, so I honed a few razors on it focusing on the crowned portion. There was a Dr/honemeister from Japan a couple of years ago who was posting quite a bit on J-nats and honing with them. Rather than lap the rare and precious stones he would put a straight edge on them and hone on the high spots. Sort of lap them by honing on them. I guess that is where I got the idea.

The razors I did this way came out fine. I eventually did lap the thing and it was tough. On lapping in general, I lap my hones when I feel like they need it. I have been honing and decided lapping would be an improvement, in the midst of a honing session, lapped and it was an improvement. So it is sort of intuitive I think. OTOH, the old barbers I used to talk with about stones and honing never once mentioned it. I don't think I've ever seen it written about in a barber manual.

I once bought an FWE razor from a barber's son. It had been stored for 20 years and when I received it the razor was super shave ready. I continued to correspond with the seller and eventually bought his father's coticule. One of the usual 5x2 1/2 naturals many of them seemed to own back then. It has an inclusion in the surface that is cosmetic and doesn't effect the honing. It was dished on one side of the yellow, so he must have used it the same way all of the time.

I eventually lapped it and as soft as coticules are it took quite a bit of work. Point being that as sharp as that FWE was, the old fellow must have been quite a honer, and obviously didn't lap his stone. Not to say that I won't stick with lapping. I do think it is the way to go. Just running my mouth here this morning.

Last question and I promise I will leave you guys alone. What if any steps after this hone. I will try it after linen strop and leather obviously but anything else? And any other advice as I have heard 30 laps after the 10k or 12k and right to linen and leather. Would you do half strokes on it to polish and then 10 x strokes? Or just 30 x strokes? I do have .1 micron cbn that I could use on a leather paddle or hanging wool felt. Thanks again.

All I do is strop maybe 20 or 30 on leather following the 20k. Lynn said he strops on fabric first to knock of any thing that might bother the leather he strops on after the linen or fabric. I started with 10 round trips on the 20k and then went up to 20. So far so good. I think it might depend on the razor ?

As for any added powders, sprays or pastes ...... just for myself, if I have to pay that much for a finishing stone I don't want to 'improve' my results with a dollar's worth of powder. YMMV.

Got 2 today. Chosera 5k and suehiro gokumy 20. Lapped both. The 20k lapped quickly. Like a naniwa and it has the same sticky feel also. Anyway set one on the 3k, 5k, 10k chosera and did 20 heel leading half strokes on the 20k and finished with 15 x strokes. then webbing and roo strop. Got hht 3 or so off the hone. And 4-5 after strop. Tomorrow is the real test. I was expecting a harder feeling stone. Someone mentioned it took a long time to lap. That was a piece of cake. And it didnt remind me of a stone that can take a lot of honing without being lapped.